Do I share?

At first I was not going to share with anyone my resolutions – after all it is a personal thing and who really cares anyway what I decide to do or not to do. Isn’t it a little arrogant to think the world cares about my resolutions?

Accountability

But I have decided I want some way to hold myself accountable. Maybe by sharing with others in a public fashion, I will be encouraged to keep going when I might get discouraged and decide to call it quits.

So far – so good

It is now 15 days into 2015. So far – so good. But have I already formed a new habit? How long will that take? It has been said that if you do something for 21 days, it becomes a habit. However, that statement is not based on any solid evidence.

While I like the “21 days” idea, I’m not sure it’s that easy. Sounds good because I would love to change my life in just three weeks.

But is it true?

Reading on the subject, I found a study published in European Journal of Social Psychology by Phillippa Lally, a health psychology researcher at University College London trying to determine just how long it takes to form a habit.

The answer?

On average, it takes more than two months before a new behavior becomes automatic. The time involved also depends on the behavior, the person and the circumstances.

The truth?

It will take me more than 21 days to really make these resolutions a real life change.

I don’t have to be perfect!

The study also found that making a mistake now and then does not impact changing my long-term habits. So – I don’t have to pressure myself – I can do it.